Chapter 1793: Difficult for the Unskilled, Easy for the Skilled

After three days of rest, the disciples participating in the assessment were all in high spirits, having returned to their peak state.

Elder Hong turned toward the sect and prostrated himself directly.

“Hong Xiao, disciple of Shadow Moon Sect, respectfully request the Yaoguang Drum!”

As he spoke, Elder Hong took out a small flag, infused it with divine essence, and thrust it into the void.

Rumble!

The void immediately trembled violently, with a thunderous roar that echoed endlessly.

Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, a giant drum slowly emerged from the void.

“Ah! My ears!”

“I... I can’t hear!”

The humming sound from the giant drum pierced the eardrums of everyone present.

Those with weaker strength even spat out blood, their internal organs already injured by the vibration.

“This is... the sound of the Dao!”

Ye Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat amazed.

Ye Yuan was no stranger to this mysterious sensation.

Back when he preached to the demon race, he had once triggered the celestial sound of the Dao, which bore a striking resemblance to the sound emitted by this Yaoguang Drum.

However, the celestial sound of the Dao that Ye Yuan triggered belonged to the Dao of alchemy.

The Dao sound of the Yaoguang Drum, on the other hand, was highly aggressive, clearly belonging to a Dao with极强的 offensive power.

“It seems the Shadow Moon Sect is indeed extraordinary. This Yaoguang Drum should be a top-tier true divine treasure, with unimaginable power. Even the residual vibration of its drum surface has such force,” Ye Yuan thought to himself in awe.

Ye Yuan accepted this Dao sound calmly.

Meanwhile, Bai Li Qingyan and the others silently circulated their divine essence to withstand the impact.

Gradually, the vibration of the Yaoguang Drum subsided, and everyone felt a sense of relief.

Elder Hong swept his gaze over the crowd and said sternly, “Those who spat blood just now may leave.”

Those who had spat blood were all deeply frustrated but had no choice but to leave.

“I’ve long heard that the Yaoguang Drum is immensely powerful, but I never expected it to be so terrifying!”

“If fully activated, could it even kill a celestial god in an instant?”

Everyone was deeply awed by the power of the Yaoguang Drum.

After those people left, Elder Hong slowly continued, “Now, the second round of assessment begins. Regardless of the method you use, as long as you can make the Yaoguang Drum sound, you pass the assessment. Those who pass will become inner disciples of our Shadow Moon Sect; those who fail will become menial disciples. If you are unwilling to become a menial disciple, you may also leave. However, I warn you: act within your means! Your attack will be reflected back at you several times over by the Yaoguang Drum. It may even shatter your physical body.”

Elder Hong’s words sent a slight chill through the disciples.

The power of the Yaoguang Drum was truly too terrifying.

Without some level of attainment, striking the drum was akin to seeking death.

“Alright, now, in reverse order of your first-round results, come forward and perform,” Elder Hong announced loudly.

The first to step up was a lean, wiry man.

He leaped into the air, raised his hand, and a iron rod appeared in his grip.

“Ultimate Heavenly Firmament Staff!”

The lean man swung the iron rod and smashed it toward the Yaoguang Drum.

Bang!

A scream was heard; the drum did not sound, but the right arm holding the rod exploded into fragments.

“Heh, what a fool! Does he think this is an ordinary drum, that swinging an iron rod can make it sound?” Duan Qinghong sneered at the sight.

Han Yong also changed expression slightly and said to Ye Yuan beside him, “Good heavens, that guy wasn’t weak, and he’s crippled just like that?”

Ye Yuan said calmly, “This Yaoguang Drum tests not strength, but one’s understanding of the Dao. Using brute force only backfires. The stronger the force, the greater the rebound. Losing only one arm is a light outcome. If it were you, your entire body might have exploded.”

Han Yong chuckled and said, “I wouldn’t be as stupid as him.”

Ye Yuan glanced at him and said flatly, “You’ll pass the assessment easily enough, but beating Zhao Zhao is impossible.”

Han Yong’s expression froze, and a look of frustration crept onto his face.

Their Heavenly Thunder Sect and the Demon Elephant Sect were mortal enemies, and Han Yong and Zhao Zhao were lifelong rivals.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could never surpass Zhao Zhao.

This had always been a knot in his heart.

“Ye Yuan, hit a man but don’t slap his face; expose a fault but don’t touch a sore spot. You’re making me really depressed!” Han Yong said gloomily.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, “I’ll teach you a trick to let you overpower Zhao Zhao. What do you think?”

Han Yong’s eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, “Really? Don’t mess with me, or we’re not brothers anymore.”

Ye Yuan laughed, “Why would I mess with you? This round is a piece of cake for me.”

At these words, not only Han Yong but also Yang Fan beside him showed a look of doubt.

Neither of them knew about Ye Yuan’s stunning performance in the Shadow Moon Mountain Range, so naturally, they didn’t know his true strength.

“Ye Yuan, isn’t that a bit too boastful? You may have come first in the first round, but this second round with the Yaoguang Drum is no easy feat even for the top scorer,” Yang Fan said.

His words were subtle, but essentially meant that Ye Yuan’s first-place finish was due to taking advantage of others, not true merit.

Didn’t he have any self-awareness of his own strength?

Bragging like this—he should take a piss and look at his own reflection.

Ye Yuan did not argue but said to Han Yong with a smile, “If you trust me, I’ll teach you. If not, forget it, and pretend I said nothing.”

Han Yong’s expression shifted uncertainly; honestly, he had some doubts.

But surpassing Zhao Zhao had been his long-cherished wish for years.

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and said, “Brother, tell me. I trust you!”

Ye Yuan nodded and whispered a few words in Han Yong’s ear.

Han Yong listened, a puzzled look appearing on his face. “Is it really that simple? Will it work?”

Ye Yuan nodded with a smile, “Difficult for the unskilled, easy for the skilled. This round of assessment is not as hard as you imagine.”

A strange expression crossed Han Yong’s face, and he was momentarily undecided.

Meanwhile, the assessment proceeded in an orderly manner.

But so far, no one had passed.

Some, seeing the injuries of those before them, dared not go all out.

Dong!

Finally, when the fortieth-something person stepped up, someone made the Yaoguang Drum sound for the first time.

However, the sound was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, and it was debatable whether it counted as a proper sound.

“Ding Yuan, zero rank! Passes the assessment!” Elder Hong announced loudly.

Clearly, Elder Hong could use that small flag to assign a rank to those who passed.

Zero rank was almost negligible.

But even achieving this was no small feat.

More and more participants passed later on, but the vast majority were zero rank or first rank.

It wasn’t until the top hundred that a second-rank disciple appeared.